<<From a practical standpoint we never have worked under a written contract where you pay in X dollars per year and are guaranteed Y dollars when you reach a certain age. You cannot pass on your benefit dollars to an heir when you die before the retirement age. You may even prepare a retirement budget that allows you to survive without counting on a single dollar from SS. Even with all of that, I believe that almost every member of the working population has labored with the CLEAR understanding that a benefit would and should be paid to all who qualify and desire it. >>

Heck, all my life I've been aware that Social Security Benefits could be changed by Congress. They have been changed MANY times, mostly up, sometimes to cut benefits in one way or another. Benefit cuts people ought to have been aware of is the increase in the normal retirement age to 67 and applying income taxes to Social Security benefits in some cases.

People who haven't been aware that benefits could be changed up or down by Congress have been asleep at the switch.

The usual solution to Social Security and Medicare problems has been to increase taxes. I'm just opposed to more of that. If there is a shortage of money to pay promised benefits, tough luck. Cut benefits in some way to make up the shortfall.

I'm just opposed to further tax increases on Gen X, Y and Z or anyone else, to fund payments to people who don't need them.